EU to focus on Green Deal diplomacy; preparing Green Agenda for Western Balkans
Participants at the 5th Energy and Climate Committee meeting, organized by the Energy Community Secretariat, have stressed the connection between national energy and climate plans (NECPs) and the European Green Deal, focusing in particular on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. The meeting was held digitally as part of the response to the COVID-19 […]
Environmental organizations ask EU to stop waste burning in coal power plants in Bulgaria
Environmental lawyers at ClientEarth, Greenpeace Bulgaria and Za Zemiata are bringing a legal complaint to the European Commission to compel EU authorities to investigate and order the alleged illegal waste incineration in Bulgaria to stop. Three organizations have taken action after the Bulgarian government secretly allowed three aging coal power plants to burn unclassified waste, […]
EU conditions EUR 251 million state aid to coal, power utility CE Oltenia
The European Commission has approved Romania’s plans to grant a EUR 251 million loan to second-biggest power producer Complexul Energetic Oltenia (CE Oltenia) but with strict conditions. The Romanian government has defined a plan to help Complexul Energetic Oltenia (CE Oltenia), coal-based utility trapped in a financial squeeze for years. A public loan warrants approval […]
Clean energy potential of coal regions in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Slovenia: EU report
In more than half of the 42 coal regions in the European Union, the switch to clean energy can create more jobs than currently exist in the coal sector, finds the latest report of the European Commission. The study of its Joint Research Centre (JRC) on clean energy technologies in coal regions includes seven regions […]
EU scolds Croatia for delay in reporting on energy efficiency
Downsizing and the faulty database of the former relevant authority in Zagreb blocked the European Commission from getting a complete picture of progress in the European Union. Croatia now has a different agency tasked with providing the annual retrospective on energy efficiency. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy said it would “very soon” publish […]
Romania to invest EUR 53 million in charging stations for hybrid, electric vehicles
Romania is launching a EUR 53 million state aid scheme to stimulate investments in charging stations for hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) which will span from 2020 to 2025. The measure is approved by the European Commission under EU state aid rules. Romania currently has more than 150 charging stations for EVs. In 2018, authorities […]
Serbian government adopts Chapter 27 negotiating position
The Government of Serbia has adopted the negotiating position for Chapter 27 – environment and climate change and sent it to the European Commission in Brussels. It is an opportunity to open another chapter in 2020 as part of the EU accession process, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The negotiating position for Chapter […]
EU approves EUR 128 million for water infrastructure in Croatia
The European Commission has approved an investment of EUR 128 million from the cohesion fund to modernize water supply, wastewater collection and wastewater treatment infrastructures in the urban Croatian area of Split-Solin. The entire project value is estimated at EUR 228 million. Additional funds will be provided by Croatian state institutions. The project includes the […]